Office Windows
by kittyinthelibrary
Summary: Hermione & Fred work in neighboring buildings, and communicate through their windows. One-shot, non-magic AU.


Hermione was in a hurry. She was trying to go at a brisk pace to get to the courtroom, but it was mid-summer and the streets were filled with tourists who walked at a snail's pace, gawking at buildings, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk to snap a photo or look at a store window, and it was infuriating. She needed to get herself organized and clear-headed before the trial began, but her train had been delayed on the tracks for nearly an hour, and no amount of foot-tapping or huffing had encouraged it to continue on it's way.

As she swerved around another tourist pausing for a selfie and veered around the corner, she ran smack-dab into a very solid object. A person, actually. Her folder of notes went flying all over the sidewalk, with business people and tourists alike continuing on their way, stepping on papers, and walking right past the scene.

"I am so sorry!" Said a voice above her. The man she had rushed into was now crouched next to her where she was starting to gather her papers, and he began to help as well.

"It's alright," She started, although her eyes were starting to fill with frustrated tears. "It was my fault. I wasn't watching where I was going."

The man laughed. "And you seem to be in a hurry. Here," He said, handing her the last pile of scattered documents. "I won't keep you."

"Thanks," She said, voice thick. She glanced at his face. It was a familiar face, but she couldn't place it, and had no time to try and figure it out. She shoved her papers into her messenger bag, stood up, and rushed off.

By the end of the day, Hermione felt defeated. She had spent the day defending a parent trying to be reunited with their child, and lost. She dumped her bag onto the couch in her office at the firm, and sank down next to it, rubbing her eyes. She wanted a drink. Maybe Perkins in the office next door had some brandy. If she could only summon the energy to stand up, walk next door, and ask.

She opened her eyes and turned her head to look out the window. The sun was going down, creating a red glow that reflected off the building next to theirs. And suddenly, she remembered. The face, from that morning… how many times had she watched him pacing, or working at his computer station, or just standing and staring outside with a mug of coffee…. He worked there, in the building next door, and her window looked directly into his office. She wondered now what sort of company resided in those offices, and what the man did for a living. She also wondered if he noticed her as much as she noticed him.

Just as she was thinking about him, the light went on in his office, and she watched him walk in. She watched him walk to his desk, open a drawer, and grab something out of it- he must have forgotten something. And then she watched him glance out the window- and then look right into her office. They were across the street from each other, so he was still too far to read his exact expression… but then he wandered over to the window and waved.

Still dazed from the events of her day, she pointed to herself. "Me?" Was what she intended to say. He grinned. He had a grin so big she could see it from her office. He waved again, then pointed downstairs. Oh, no. He wanted to meet her. She was exhausted, and probably looked a mess by now, but she held up her index finger. "Just a minute." Hermione heaved herself off the couch and began to gather her things, because why not? It had been a day, and she still needed that drink.

He was waiting for her just outside her building. As soon as she walked over to him, his huge grin was back. It was even more dazzling up close, and Hermione suddenly had a funny feeling in her stomach. The man stuck out his hand.

"Fred Weasley," he said, by way of introduction. "I'm still sorry about this morning, with all your papers…."

"Really, it's ok." Was Hermione's reply. "It wasn't your fault." She took his hand and shook it. "Hermione Granger."

"Hermione," Fred repeated, "Can't believe I'm finally meeting you."

"Oh?"

"Not to sound like a creep, but I've noticed you. Our office windows make privacy a bit of a difficulty, you know. Maybe you haven't noticed, you always seem to be so hard at work…" He drifted off, suddenly unsure.

"Oh!" Was her eloquent reply. "Oh, no I've definitely noticed you. I mean," she blushed. "I've seen you through the window as well… there aren't any blinds, you see…. and …."

Fred laughed. He had a wonderful, deep, full laugh, and Hermione realized she could listen to him laugh all day.

"Do you want to get a drink?" She blurted. She didn't think it possible, but Fred's smile grew even wider.

"Please. I know a place, just round the corner."

Hermione shifted her bag on her shoulder, and they started walking together. She wasn't sure what to say. She almost felt as though she already knew Fred, although of course she knew next to nothing about him. Her day had been so long and trying that not very long ago all she had wanted to do was gulp down some brandy and go straight to bed with Crookshanks to comfort her with his purring. Being around Fred, however, made her feel almost energized. He had an aura about him that she found comforting, and energizing, and pleasing all at once. She allowed herself to look over at him as they walked, wondering how that could be when they'd only just now officially met.

"So," Fred began. "How was your day."

Hermione groaned.

"That good, huh? Even though you had the pleasure of running into such a handsome bloke this morning?"

Hermione chuckled. She couldn't help it. "It was just a long day."

"What is it that you do?"

"I work for a law firm, Macmillan & Abbot. I had a trial today, and…" She trailed off for a moment. "Well, it didn't go well."

"I'm sorry." Fred looked at her sympathetically. "I see now why you're so keen to reach the pub."

They had arrived at The Leaky Cauldron, a quirky little pub around the corner from their office buildings. Fred reached for the door and held it open for Hermione. They wove their way through the post-work crowd to a small table in the far corner.

"I'll grab drinks," Said Fred. "What will you take?"

"Hard cider, please."

"Righto"

Hermione was left sitting, looking around at the crowds. There's was a rambunctious group of men nearby watching a football match, and they roared in excitement at various intervals when their team did something good. Hermione never followed football much, even when her best friends had played in school, so she didn't know what exactly was happening in the game. She allowed her eyes to gaze at the screen anyway, just to have something to look at.

"There you go." Fred was back, and set the two drinks down at the table. "So."

"So." Hermione repeated. "What is it that you're working on, as you pace up and down your office all day?"

"Aha!" Fred's grin was back. "You HAVE been watching me."

Hermione shrugged. "A bit. During slow periods. Are you going to answer the question?"

"I work for a tech company, but what I'd really like to do is create my own startup. George and I are working on a new app right now. Half the time at work, that's really what I'm thinking about."

"George?"

"My twin. He's at the company, too, but in a different department."

"Oh. I'm not sure I've ever seen him…"

Fred laughed, "Or, maybe you have and thought it was me. We're identical. Sometimes we switch roles just for fun, when we get too bored."

"What? Wouldn't that get you into trouble?"

"Nobody's noticed yet. We're pretty good at it."

"Hmm."

"What?"

"It just doesn't seem very responsible."

"Well, it's the company's fault for not giving us interesting enough work." Fred shrugged. "Anyway, it's just a job to keep us from going into debt while we work on the app."

"Which is?"

Fred leaned in, clearly eager to talk about it. "It's a new dating app. We're still working out the kinks of how it'll work, but we think we have a good idea going."

"Interesting." Hermione leaned in as well. "Tell me more."

Fred and Hermione spent the remainder of the evening deep in conversation. After talking about the twins' app, they moved on to other things. Interests, and background… Hermione discovered that she remembered Fred from another part of her life- they had attended the same secondary school. However, as Hermione had spent the majority of her time in the library, and Fred the majority of his on the football field, they hadn't actually seen much of each other. At some point Hermione realized she was starving, so Fred ordered some pub food for both of them. She loved hearing his hilarious stories of his family, while he seemed enthralled by her tales of the courtroom.

All too soon, Hermione checked the time on her phone and groaned.

"Time to go?" Fred asked, checking the time on his own phone.

"I'm afraid so. I have work again tomorrow and it's already past my bedtime."

Fred walked Hermione out, and called her a cab. As she sat in the back, gazing out the window, she realized they hadn't exchanged numbers.

Well, if they did decide they wanted to do this again, it wasn't as though they didn't know where the other worked.

When Hermione entered her office the next morning, the first thing she did was look out her window. There was a piece of paper taped to the window, but Hermione couldn't tell what was on it. Notes for the app, or for work? She allowed herself to ponder for just a moment before settling at her desk and opening her agenda to see what she needed to work on that day.

Not long after, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in." Hermione was still bent over her work as she heard the door open.

"Um. Ms. Granger? Package for you."

Hermione looked up. It was one of the interns.

"Oh. Thank you," she said, taking the package. What was his name? Harold? Harvey? She couldn't for the life of her remember, so she turned her attention to the package in her hand. It was wrapped in simple brown paper, and simply had her name written across in rather untidy handwriting. _Hermione Granger._

She tore off the paper and found… a pair of binoculars. No note. She stared at the binoculars for a full minute before it hit her.

Going back to the window, she put the binoculars up to her eyes and peered at Fred's window, feeling a bit like a peeping tom. She focused on the piece of paper, taped to the window.

_Did you hear about the two monocles at the party?_

_They made spectacles of themselves!_

Hermione giggled. A joke. He'd taped a joke to his window and then sent her a pair of binoculars, just to make her laugh. She looked around her office, wondering what she could put up in response. She thought of the office supply cabinet and all the supplies stored inside, and went to take a look.

A half-hour later, her masterpiece was done. The laughing emoji, made out of post-it notes. But now she had to actually focus and get some work done.

Later, as she paused to stand and stretched, she glanced out the window again. There was a new piece of paper taped to Fred's window, right next to the first.

She smiled, grabbed the pair of binoculars, and peered at the window.

_Dinner tonight? 6?_

Now she was grinning. She snagged a piece of paper from her printer and wrote her reply.

_Yes. This would be so much easier if we had just exchanged numbers, though._

She saw him peer through his own pair of binoculars, smile, and write something on a third piece of paper.

_But not nearly so much fun._

She wouldn't be getting any work done during the day, that was for sure.

At six sharp Hermione breezed out of the office and went downstairs, out to the sidewalk. Her nerves were buzzing, but she just couldn't wait to see Fred again.

"The laughing emoji was cute. You should leave it up." She whirled to see Fred standing there, with that charming grin on his face. "Better day today?" He asked.

She couldn't help grinning in return. "Much!" She replied. "Where's dinner?"

"Different part of town. We'll need a cab." He said, raising his arm to hail one.

Dinner turned out to be at a rooftop restaurant in a trendy part of the city. Hermione's gaze kept switching from the gorgeous views, to Fred's (now she had to admit it) extremely attractive face. As he told her about the time he tricked his younger brother into eating live worms, she couldn't help but notice how his blue eyes looked at her earnestly, how she wanted to run her fingers through his hair, and how she wouldn't mind staring at his face long enough to count the freckles. The story itself that Fred was recounting was obviously disgusting, but he told it with gusto and humor. Later during the dinner, when she mentioned that both her parents were dentists and that she was never allowed sweets as a child, he ordered all four desserts on the menu.

Once leaving the restaurant, they decided to walk along the river.

"So tell me, Ms. Granger," Fred began. "Will I see you again? Other than just through the office window, I mean."

Hermione looked over at him. He was gazing at her with a smile on his face, but she could tell he was a bit apprehensive.

"Of course. I'd really like that."

His smile grew. "Well then. Could I have the great honor of kissing you?"

Her stomach fluttered. Her eyes were drawn to his lips, partially parted, but waiting patiently. "Yes."

And then he was kissing her.

One hand cupped her cheek. The other rested on her waist. She put her arms around him and kissed him back. She could taste the chocolate lava cake from dinner, and when he moved his lips apart, hers opened in response. She moaned slightly, and then he pulled back, still cupping her face, still smiling down at her.

"So."

"So." She repeated, slightly breathless.

"Same time tomorrow?"

She grinned. "I'll see you then."


End file.
